NCJ Number
253510
Date Published
December 2018
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This is a summary report of the findings and methodology of a Minnesota study of the steps being taken in the state's juvenile detention and residential facilities to identify residents who have been victims of violent crime, the services currently available to these juvenile victims, and the services needed in juvenile justice facilities to treat residents who have been victims of violent crime.
Abstract
The study was conducted by a partnership team composed of the administrator of Minnesota's Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and representatives of the state's Statistical Analysis Center (SAC), referred to as the VOCA-SAC team. This team surveyed Minnesota's juvenile faculties in an effort to obtain the data required for this study. Overall, the survey found that most facilities responding to the survey have practices and mechanisms in place that could be used to identify residents' past experiences with violent victimization; however, most facilities report that they are only sometimes able to identify residents as victims of violence. Once such victims have been identified, facilities report they are usually able to take steps that will ensure the safety of these juveniles, notify proper authorities, and connect the victims with appropriate treatment providers. A large majority of the facilities reported that they have adequate staff and resources for such treatment within the facility or can access treatment providers in the communities where they are located. In order to aid the partnership between in-house staff and community treatment resources, the VOCA-SAC team developed a directory to assist both community-based treatment providers and the staff of juvenile facilities to make connections in the delivery of appropriate services for various juvenile victims of violence. Training activities related to the focus of this project have also been developed by the VOCA-SAC team. 7 figures, 6 tables, and 22 references